Highland Renaissance Academy, Charlotte NC

Original Research by School Decision on Highland Renaissance Academy

Highland Renaissance Academy serves pre-K through fifth grade in Charlotte, a major mixed-use city anchored by a dense Uptown core and distinctive neighborhoods. The school sits in a economically challenged area: nearly all of its students—an enrollment of about four hundred across the grade band—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is roughly split between Black and Hispanic students, with very few white or Asian students represented.

The school's most recent state testing results paint a mixed picture. In math, about half of students in grades three through five tested at proficient or above. Science performance was stronger, with about three-fifths of tested students reaching proficiency. English language arts was notably lower, with just under one-third of tested students meeting the standard. Science testing involved a smaller cohort than math and ELA, likely reflecting the testing schedule for that grade band. The school should be able to discuss these results further and explain any context around them, including whether particular grade levels or student groups are driving these patterns.

No prior-year state testing data was available for comparison, so whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability cannot be determined from the data on hand. Enrollment is stable across grades, with moderate numbers in each year, and the school is not notably growing or shrinking.

Charlotte itself is one of the fastest-growing major U.S. cities, with the metro region adding residents rapidly and Mecklenburg County population climbing sharply. This growth is straining housing and schools. Voters approved a record school bond in 2023, with major facility improvements and new schools in the pipeline, and property tax increases are scheduled to fund those projects through the end of the decade. The district has also adopted a new K-12 program-choice model starting in the 2027-2028 school year, moving away from a long-standing school-choice system and consolidating magnet themes into six pathways. At the same time, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools rolled out a new, standardized elementary language arts curriculum across the district using thematic modules that pair reading and writing with social-emotional learning.

Housing in the zip code where Highland Renaissance Academy sits is moderate in price for Charlotte, with the median home value below the county and state benchmarks and rental costs lower than mortgage payments. This reflects an older, more affordable residential area as growth concentrates in Uptown and along the light rail corridors.

The school's test data suggests it is working with students who face significant economic barriers, and math and science results show areas of strength. English language arts results point to an area a parent may want to look into further with the school—whether that reflects demographic factors such as emerging bilingualism, curriculum implementation timing, or other dynamics. A parent considering this school should ask directly about the ELA curriculum rollout and how it is landing, what supports are in place for economically disadvantaged students, and what the school's priorities are for the coming year.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-852%

School 52% · District 59% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-832%

School 32% · District 53% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grades 3-863%

School 63% · District 62% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income26%Higher-income20%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income45%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income24%22 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income34%Higher-income29%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income56%Higher-income70%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income45%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income51%Higher-income39%12 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income53%Higher-income50%3 pp gap